wherever you are (i'll be right there)
by ZhenLe
Summary: As much as his heart is hurting, and as much as his hands shake, he whips out a small piece of paper and a pen before scribbling a quick and messy I'll be on my way now, Haru. I'll call you when I reach Tokyo. and places it on Haruka's empty desk. In other words, Makoto goes off to college without getting to say bye to Haruka.


**_A/N: Since kyoani is not giving me what I want I'm gonna write what I want. Forgive mistakes I haven't proofread this OTL ideas like this come to me at the worst times ever aka at night when I'm in bed supposedly sleeping_**

The prospect of leaving his family behind to venture into a foreign enough city alone is all the reason Makoto needs to want to stay where he is. But he can't. He can't back down after he's come so far. He can't stay to watch the disappointment that might find its way to his parents face, even if they did want him to be with them. He can't bear to watch Ran and Ren's questioning faces if he suddenly decides not to leave at all. They've been preparing so hard to be independent without him, they'd probably be upset if he didn't go at all.

So he bids them all goodbye, I'll come back and visit, gives hugs and kisses, before he's out the door with his bag. No, he's not going to let his family come with him to the train station to say farewell there. The last thing he wants to see before he leaves are sad faces and tears. And of course, he doesn't want to break down and cry before boarding either. The train ride is going to be a long six to seven hours and he's not sure he wants to hop on with tear stained cheeks and a runny nose.

The train doesn't leave for another hour, and the station is about fifteen minutes away from home. But Makoto is out of the house already not because he wants to be early, but because there is something he has to do before leaving. He finds himself in front of his second home in seconds, pressing the doorbell and expecting no reply. His expectations were met.

Makoto goes around the back of the house, sliding open the backdoor when he realises – it's locked. It's _locked_ and no, Haruka never locks his backdoor. It sends a brief moment of panic down to the pit of Makoto's stomach but he's reaching under the doormat and finding the spare key the next second.

Haruka isn't there. His house is dark despite it being a little past noon, and there is no sign of life anywhere. He's not in the tub, he's not lying in bed, he's not in the kitchen and he's not in the living room. His furniture is still where it should be, but the fridge is empty and his table sports a vacant surface, his closet is more than half bare and when Makoto looks more closely, Haruka's favourite body pillow is gone.

The panic that had almost subsided starts to rise again. It doesn't just stay in his stomach this time. It spreads to his chest, his arms, his legs, and Makoto finds himself frozen in place. _Where is Haru?!_

Then he's on to his phone, fingers flying across the number pad and texting a scared _Where are you?_ to Haruka. There's no reply, as usual, so Makoto texts Rin, Nagisa, and Rei. Rin doesn't reply either, which doesn't make Makoto wonder much. He's probably busy. But when Nagisa, who always replies less than five minutes later, or Rei, who never fails to leave his senpai hanging for long, don't reply, Makoto feels like he's going to collapse. Or that the whole world was going to collapse on him.

And there's only half an hour before the train leaves.

Makoto is not going to run back to his family screaming. He's already said goodbye to them and he doesn't want to be met with crying. He doesn't have enough time to go to anyone else's place. Plus he's already said goodbye to them too. It would be weird if he were to show up _again_.

He's tempted to wait on Haruka's bed. To just sit there and wait until he hears the raven step back inside. He wants to see Haruka one last time before he leaves. He wants to see his face, hug him, maybe run his fingers through soft black hair or rub a warm back. But he can't. He knows he can't because his parents had paid for this train ticket, and if he missed it that was not going to sit well with his parents.

So as much as his heart is hurting, and as much as his hands shake, he whips out a small piece of paper and a pen before scribbling a quick and messy _I'll be on my way now, Haru. I'll call you when I reach Tokyo._ and places it on Haruka's empty desk.

With that he's off to the train station, feeling a lot more burdened than this morning. That he's already troubled at having to go out into another place without any comforting presence does not sit well with the ever increasing toll Haruka's mysterious disappearance is having on his heart. In fact, he's now a huge mess because not only does he miss his family already, he's so worried about Haruka as well and he hopes that his best friend has not left his house behind in sadness.

The long train ride begins, and Makoto stares out the window drearily, hugging his bag to his chest. The rest of his belongings have already been shipped to his dorm in Tokyo, and he wonders what it's going to be like. He's dreading it, really, he's dreading having to go to college, to start anew, to have to be alone from the start.

But as the scenery outside is reduced to a blur, Makoto makes out the sky, the trees and buildings right underneath its vast landscape, and everything reminds him of home. Of his family. Of Haruka. Because Iwatobi had always been home, and Haruka had always been home too. But not just that, Haruka has always been as beautiful and breathtaking as the sky. Yet he's always been so rooted and firm in his decisions and actions sometimes, just like how the trees stay rooted to the ground. Then the ocean comes into view and the gentle waves lapping at the shoreline contrast the merciless waves of fear and sadness in his heart. All he sees when he closes his eyes is Haruka.

He dreams of Haruka. He dreams of the time when they were still children and Haruka held his hand. He dreams of the time in elementary school when Haruka had drawn the two of them together on his notebook. He dreams of Haruka swimming, strokes smooth and unhesitant, gliding through the water effortlessly. He dreams of how they held each other when Haruka came back from Australia. Then he dreams of Haruka's back turned on him as he walks further and further away…

Makoto somehow manages not to get himself lost in Tokyo. He takes a cab to the university, nervous at how everything is different from Iwatobi. It's evening, and the streets are littered with trash and people walking, the roads are walled with high-rise buildings, and the lights and noise are a little too much to take in all at once.

The campus is swarming with people, students, all chattering animatedly and going in and out the buildings. Makoto gulps once, twice, and then searches for the administration building. He's guided there with some help, stepping into a cool and relatively quiet place with other students checking in or lining up for assistance as well. So he waits in one of the lines, toying with the hem of his shirt and glancing around.

The lady behind the counter hands him a map, _so you can find your way_, a key to his dorm, _your roommate should already be inside_, and a few other items that Makoto is apparently going to need. Then with a grateful thank you and a bow, he's off to find the place that he's going to be living in for the next couple of years. He wonders what sort of roommate he's going to have, whether they'll be nice or mean, whether they'll like him or not, whether they'll be friends immediately or take time to warm up to each other. He bits his lip as each question sends him deeper and deeper into a pit of fear.

Makoto is disorientated, and it's by some stroke of luck or a miracle that he manages to stumble into the right building on the first try. The number on the plaque attached to his key states 116 and he's surprised that there are so many rooms. But it turns out that the first number stands for which floor he's on, and wow he's on the lowest floor. It doesn't take much to navigate his way through a long corridor before he reaches 116.

He coughs once, runs his hand through his hair for good measure, and smoothes the folds on his shirt. Then he turns the key in the doorknob and opens it slowly and quietly, breathing out a pardon my intrusion as he pokes his head inside. The cardboard boxes stacked up against the wall catches his eye first, and then he steps in fully and surveys the entire room. Until his eyes come to rest on a figure standing by the window, staring outside as a gentle evening breeze ruffles raven hair. Very familiar raven hair.

The figure turns to look at him, and Makoto almost crumples to the ground in tears but he's somehow still standing and staring back, eyes wide and lips trembling. Because those eyes that meet his own are the bluest blue Makoto has ever seen, and the only person in the world with those eyes is none other than Haruka.

Then Haruka sends him a small smile and Makoto finds himself completely unable to move. He wants to call out to Haruka, run to Haruka, but his voice is stuck in his throat and his limbs are frozen and if he so much as opens his mouth slightly he's scared he'll let out a loud wail instead of words.

The silence between them drags out for too long and Makoto sees Haruka's eyes flicker downwards for a second in an uncertain motion. Makoto catches it without difficulty.

"Were you expecting someone else?"

Then Makoto is dropping his bag at his feet, rushing over to the window where Haruka stands, a little awkwardly, and is wrapping his arms around the smaller in a tight, tight embrace. He grips Haruka so hard as if he would fade if not for it (but of course, he's Makoto's most precious person in the world) and he can hardly believe that the Haruka standing in his arms is not a hallucination or an imagination.

And then Haruka is rubbing his back gently as tears slide down the brunet's cheeks. Makoto is shaking his head _no no no all I needed was you_ and his face is buried in Haruka's neck. Each tear that slips out is one less worry, one less fear, one less anxiety until all Makoto is crying are tears of relief, comfort, _joy_ because no, he hasn't lost Haruka and yes, Haruka is right here in his arms. Right here with him.

This is only the beginning. The beginning of a new phase in life that Makoto was suddenly looking forward to. That he had been dreading all along but suddenly made a 180 degree turn when he realised he wasn't alone. The beginning of something special.

Questions could wait. Words could wait. Because all Makoto needs right now is Haruka's body pressed against his, warm, soft and oh so familiar.

Again. Makoto is going to have Haruka with him again. And he finds that his heart is beating hard for only one reason now.

Excitement.

How could he not be, when the prospect of having his best friend by his side once more has lifted him off his feet? How could he not be, when he realises he's not going to be alone? He's no longer dreading college life; he finds the idea extremely exhilarating. And his smile is back where it should be.

"Please take good care of me again, Haru."

Makoto's voice is so small, but he's at least managed to get it out of his throat. He can almost hear a small smile dance on Haruka's lips as he replies.

"Same here. I'll be in your care again, Makoto."

They don't let go for a long time.


End file.
